Clockwork Stopped Ticking
by kittiesgalore101
Summary: Have you ever thought about what could of happend if CyberCom never found Gabriel and Riley?
1. Inevitable

**A/N Hi guys! This is my first attempt at writing a fanfic that isn't NCIS! So here is a little background: This is set as A an alternate ending/re-writing of the season finale 'Being Human' which as you all know, might very well be the series finale :'(. So in my version, CyberCom never finds Gabriel and Riley and ends up presuming them dead or MIA. But really they decided and were welcomed to live with Gabriel's mother. It didn't take long for the dynamic duo to realize their romantic feelings for each other. They have a 3 year old daughter named Quinn Galina; the meaning of both those names is intelligent. Without further ado, kittiesgalore101 presents 'Clockwork Stopped Ticking'**

"You think that's cool? Wait until you see this, Miss. Quinn!" Gabriel entertained his 3 year old daughter, Quinn. He picked up the pan that held their breakfast and flipped pancakes in the air. "One of these days, that move is not going to end very well for you." His wife and daughter's mother, Riley walked in, actually, they weren't married. After the run in with Mei Chen and Tetazoo, the two partners decided to stay off the grid, forever. Their colleagues at CyberCom presumed them dead, and as Dr. Shenandoah Cassidy said in a report given to The President, "Clockwork stopped ticking."

"Mommy, I have a question." Little Quinn addressed her mother. "Well, I just might have an answer." Riley smiled at her daughter's likeness to her father. "How come you can't go anywhere? I go places with Nana all the time." Riley looked at Gabriel for his approval to tell Quinn about life as dead men walking. "Sweetheart, I don't know how to say this and you might not understand. The world can't know that Daddy and I are alive. In fact, they think we're dead." Riley tried her hardest to make living off the grid comprehendible to a 3 year old. "Why?" Quinn asked with her big brown eyes almost identical to her mother's. "Hey, why don't you go play with your Nana for a while?" Gabriel made an excuse to talk to Riley alone. "Okay." She politely hopped off the kitchen island and went to find Gabriel's mother. "Riley she needs to know." He said after Quinn was out of earshot. "Gabriel, Clockwork is, was, and always will be classified." He rolled his eyes, "For crying out loud, Riley!" He defensively raised his voice. "She is our daughter, if my own mother knows, my daughter should know!" He began to calm down after seeing the hurt in Riley's eyes. "I'm sorry, Riley." He walked over and embraced her in a hug. "No, it's not you, I mean, thank you, but I was just thinking." She leaned against his shoulder. "About what?" He brushed the hair out of her face. "About the team, about CyberCom, about our-" She paused wondering what to say next. "Old life. I think it's time." She stood up and looked him straight in the eye. "Time we what?" He pulled her back into a hug. "Go back, let them know. I miss everyone; I miss Dr. Cassidy, Nelson, Jameson, Lillian." Gabriel sighed. "Yeah, I guess I do to. But _if_ we go back, be forewarned of Nelson's bone-crushing hug." They both laughed. "Hey, Quinn! Come here!" Riley called. "Yes?" The enthusiastic 3 year old came down the stairs and hopped back up on the island. "We have something we need to tell you." Gabriel began. "I have a computer microchip that was put in my brain." He told Quinn, she simply sat there processing the information just given her. "That's cool!" Quinn was either fascinated or didn't understand. "But there is one thing," Gabriel got more serious with his little girl. "You must never tell anyone about it. No questions asked. Okay?" Quinn nodded in agreement. "Okay." Gabriel smiled and winked at Riley. "So how would you like to meet the people who made it happen?"


	2. Reunited

_Cassidy Residence_

"I think I got it!" Dr. Cassidy said to his son, who looked out the window at the sound of a car pulling up. "Expecting anyone, Dad?" He asked. "No." His father answered, seeming slightly annoyed. "Wait, where have I seen that minivan before?" Nelson began to get excited thinking once again about Gabriel and Riley. "Oh please, do not start with this again. That was 4 years ago, they're gone." Even though the father and son had said it a million times, they never truly believed Gabriel was gone. "You might want to take that back when you see who just got out of that car." Nelson looked twice to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "Well I'll be damned." Cassidy took his eyes off his latest contraption and went to the window. "I guess I'll go let them in!" Nelson walked to the front door with a spring in his step. "Oh my freakin' goodness, you're alive!" He ran out to their car. "Well, well, well, Dr. Nelson Cassidy. Long time no see." Gabriel accepted the anticipated bone crushing hug. "Yeah, the fact that we thought you two were dead! Might have had something to do with it." He exclaimed, and then he noticed Riley holding Quinn on her hip. "Holy crap, who is this?" Nelson walked over, also giving Riley a bone crushing hug. "Our daughter." Gabriel said while awkwardly running his fingers though his hair. "Get out. Seriously? So you're like, married?" Nelson's jaw dropped at the fact that the partners had fallen in love. "Well not legally, that would require being on the grid." Riley said after locking the door of the car they stole years ago. "Are we just going to stand out here and freeze? Because I would really like to see your father." Gabriel interrupted before he could ask any more strange questions. "Yes!" They all made their way back to the workshop. Cassidy looked up from his work at the sound of footsteps. "Gabriel," He began. "I-I know, it's good to see you too." Gabriel didn't need a chip in his brain to read the mind of a friend who had become like a father. "What am I, chopped liver?" Riley walked into Cassidy's view, still holding her painfully shy little girl. "All these years and you still managed to keep him safe. You know, you two had us pretty darn convinced you were dead." He smiled and looked curiously at anonymous little Quinn. "Oh, we're far from dead," Gabriel said with a smirk. "I can see that, is this who I think it is?" Cassidy saw the family resemblance. "This is Quinn. Was it Riley's eyes that gave it away?" Gabriel introduced his daughter. "Quinn, can you say hi to Dr. Cassidy?" Riley said softly, Quinn just buried her face in her mother's shoulder. "Well someone is shy today!" She laughed. "Now that everyone knows everyone, I think you have an old friend who deserves an explanation."


	3. Allegiance

**A/N Hi guys! I was totally shocked with the response I got to this story! But just to respond to some formatting reviews, I write in traditional paragraph style, such as the type you would find in a book. By the way, my appologies for the short chapter :)**

_United States Cyber Command_

"I want satellite in 20! Jameson, get the potential candidates to the lab! Where is Cassidy? He was supposed to be here with the new microchip prototype half an hour ago!" Director Lillian Strand shouted orders. "Lilly," Cassidy walked in with Gabriel and Riley just far enough away not to be seen. "Never mind, I found him!" She shouted to her agents. "I have someone here who would like to see you." He said to her as Gabriel stepped forward. "Oh my… Gabriel, I…" She was at a loss for words. "You're alive." Lillian fought tears. "Oh, we're far from dead, Lillian," Riley came into view holding a scared little Quinn against her. "Riley! Oh my goodness, this little one wouldn't happen to be yours, would she? Oh, who am I kidding? She has your eyes!" Lillian rambled on, beside herself with the homecoming of her agents. "She's ours, actually." Gabriel put an arm around his partner, and took Quinn from her. "Oh no! I knew this would happen eventually." Lillian expressed her feelings about partners falling in love. "Hey! I happen to love Riley." Gabriel smiled nervously and handed Quinn to Lillian. "Which is the reason behind this question," He pulled out a little black box and got down on one knee. "Riley Neal, would you like the pleasure of becoming Mrs. Vaughn?" He asked with passion in his voice, realizing that he loved Riley more than he had loved anyone else, even Amelia. "Nothing would make me happier." Riley began to cry tears of joy, Gabriel slipped the ring on her finger as they kissed. "I've never seen you cry before." He whispered in her ear. "I only cry, for the ones who deserve it."


	4. Truth

**Hi guys! Sorry for not updating in so long! I am fresh out of ideas! I did try a new format at the request of some of my much appreciated reviews! Just a little heads up, the next chapter will be quite a few years in the future from my current setting. If you guys could possibly comment your favorite line, I would LOVE it!**

"… For the ones who deserve it." Riley said, wiping the mascara off her eyes. The romantic moment was interrupted by a naïve Agent Chris Jameson. "Hey, I got the- Well, hello! Do my eyes deceive me or has Gabriel Vaughn risen from the dead and entered the building?"

He stared with a shocked look at the newly bonded family. "Chris, meet my wife and" Gabriel reached to grab Quinn from Lillian, but she turned her away. "My daughter." He finished his sentence.

"Don't ruin the bonding moment," Lillian said with a laugh. "I like this girl of yours."

"So are you guys back, or what?" Jameson got straight to the point. "Well, someone is pithy today." Riley said with a sly smile.

"I only ask because I always knew you were alive." He said 11 words that silenced the room.

"You, what?" The woman with the authority to fire everyone in the building at any given moment in time demanded an explanation.

"Well, when we presumed them dead, I just couldn't accept it. I mean seriously, America's most powerful super weapon mysteriously dead? So I looked, first for Gabriel then for Riley, but I struck gold when I found both their names listed as parents on a birth certificate for a Quinn Galina Vaughn. But I didn't know if it was them or not and-" An explaining Jameson was cut off.

"You are really saying that you found evidence that our two best agents were alive and you didn't even mention it?" Nelson argued with his co-worker.

"Would you have been very happy if I had told you all they were alive and then it was really someone messing with our heads?" Jameson yelled back.

"Boys!" Lillian shut them up. "It does not matter what was said or not said, all that matters now is that we are all alive."

"Well now that we've stirred up all the possible leaves, I think it's time we get going." Gabriel said, getting his daughter back from Lillian. The old friends said goodbye and they walked towards the door.

"See you on Monday, Agent Vaughn." Lillian called after them.

* * *

"So, we're engaged, Riley." Gabriel said, grabbing two beers from the fridge.

"That we are." She sassed back, popping the top off her drink.

"So are you gonna call your parents?" He asked her.

"Gabriel, I haven't spoken to my mother in 18 years and my father in 25. Don't you think it would be a little awkward calling either of them up and being like, 'hey, Dad! I'm engaged with a child! Care to come to my wedding?' Weird, right." Riley made fun of her fiancé's idea.

"Well, we'll discuss that later. Would I be right if I guessed you want to get married somewhere fancy-schmancy?" Gabriel asked in a charming matter.

"When I was little, I wasn't one of those girls who dreamed of their wedding day as a flowery fairy tale. I pictured my wedding day with a man I loved. We could get married in a courthouse for all I care, as long as I can put a ring on the finger of a man I love." She told him.

"As far as I know, that can be arranged, and on the record, I love you too."


	5. Betrothal

AN-**_ Hello, hello everyone! For the first time ever, my optimism failed me, Intelligence has officially been cancelled. But there is no way that I'm not finishing this story! So know, the moment I think you have all been waiting for (I think) the wedding! -kittiesgalore_**

"Hey, what was that you said last night about a courthouse wedding?" Gabriel changed the subject of a random conversation as he poured Himself and Riley some coffee.

"Oh boy, what has that chip head of yours come up with this time?" Riley sighed and awaited his plan.

"Well, you know, I was just thinking that it would be kind nice to be married. I mean, we don't even have to do rings now, or any of that fancy stuff," He suggested shyly.

"Hmm, even though it's not exactly what I pictured, there's nothing I would want more," Riley leaned over the counter and kissed her fiancé.

"I think I can help with that," Gabriel's mother said from across the room.

"Mom! Where did you come from?" Gabriel recoverd from the surprise and turned to face his mom.

"Honey, I've been here all morning," She hinted that she'd overheard the wedding plans. "And I think I can help with the ring part," She set her book down and headed for a small wooden box on the mantle. "These are mine and my late husband's wedding rings. I know they aren't much in the way of sparkles and what not, but I want you to have them," She handed the box to her son.

"Mom, you know we can't take these," Gabriel tried to give the box back.

"You know I ain't takin' no for an answer," She set it in his hands again and walked upstairs.

"Well, that's settled," Riley took the ring box from Gabriel and opened it. "Wow. Definiantly settled," She saw two pollished gold bands, one with a small ingraved pattern and the other a small diamond.

"Now all we need is a marriage licsence and wittnesses and a judge to make it legal," Gabriel explained How to Get Married 101 to an oblivious Riley.

"Wait, why do we need a liscence?" Riley put a smile on Gabriel's face.

"You just made it even more obvious that you have never done this before in the most adorable way," He charmed her with a 1000 watt smile.

"Speaking of adorable," Riley nodded towards a half-asleep Quinn who was doing everything in her power not to fall face first down the stairs.

"Morning, Q," Gabriel pulled up a stool for his daughter. "Guess what? Mommy and I are gonna get married today," He gave his daughter another charming smile and smirked happily at Riley.

* * *

"Out of things I planned to do with my Thursday, wittnessing the wedding of a billion dollar piece of technology was not one of them," Lillian said to Dr. Cassidy as they approached the Virginia State Courthouse.

"Well, at least it's not wittnessing a funeral for the billion dollar piece of technology and his partner," Cassidy reasoned, "Just two days ago we believed they were killed by the henchmen of the Director of the CIA."

"It is nothing short of a miracle they weren't killed. I just don't want to see either of them get hurt," Lillian said in a concerned tone.

"Have you ever been in love, Lilly?" Cassidy stoped walking and asked.

"I was, once, and it didn't end well," She said

"Well then it wasn't true love. True love means you love your significant other until the end. Not the end of marrige, but the end of life," Cassidy said. "Now what do you say we go watch the billion dollar piece of technology and his partner get the happy ending that neither of us could?" They smiled and walked through the 8 foot wooden door.

_"I , Gabriel Vaughn, take you, Riley Neal, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, until death do us part."_

_"I, Riley Neal, take you, Gabriel Vaughn, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have, and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer , , in sickness, and in health, until death do us part."_


	6. Bulletproof

**_AN: Hey again everyone! I guess it's not a bad thing that I'm updating twice in one weekend... But just to say I warned you, this chapter you are about to read is the most emotional thing I've ever written. I legitimately sobbed, never happened before in the history of my writing. By the way, I really needed Quinn to be older for this chapter, so I kinda skipped 10 years in the story :) -kittiesgalore101 (PS: I decided to start off with a quote to get you in the mood \/) _**

_"Her last stand was to protect you." - Mike Franks 'NCIS' Season 5 episode 19 "Judgment Day Part 2"_

* * *

_ 10 years later..._

"I get it, Riley. You have a serious bone to pick with Q's English teacher," Gabriel pretended to understand his wife's motherly concern as they walked down the sidewalk on an undercover assignment.

"That woman is a total witch! With a capitol B! I mean seriously, have you heard the rumors that the younger girl that Quinn T.A.'s (Teacher Aides) with shares about her?" Riley rambled on and on.

"Yes, I have heard the stories that Korissa tells," Gabriel carried on the conversation, but was interrupted by a voice through his earwig.

"If I were you two, I'd stop talking about bad teachers and start worrying about your target," Lillian put them back on focus, their kind of cover as a husband and wife.

"Gabriel, terrorist, ten o'clock," Riley leaned in a whispered in Gabriel's ear a hint to resume their cover

"You know, I actually don't know where this road leads, we could ask this gentleman," He motioned towards their target in a black hoodie. "Excuse me, Sir? Do you know where this road leads-" The man cut him off by yelling something in Chinese.

At the man's yell, a black van with tinted windows rolled up and a gun was drawn. In an instant Riley threw herself in front of Gabriel as the trigger was pulled.

They say bad aim can save a life, but this case was exactly the opposite. The assassin's bullet hit Riley in the chest. "Riley!" Gabriel yelled as she collapsed on the concrete. "Come on, stay with me!" He muttered as her eyes fluttered open and closed until she momentarily looked him in the eye.

"Get 'em," She hoarsely whispered as her eyes closed and she breathed her last breath.

It was a truly terrifying sight to all that saw, a stoic man began to sob as he picked up his wife's body and held her close.

Meanwhile...

"Gabriel, talk to me. What's going on?" Lillian and the rest of the C-Doc team heard gunshots through the monitors. "I want traffic cam footage, now." She ordered.

"On it," Nelson began to bang the keys on one of the computers.

The image then appeared of a billion dollar piece of technology kneeling on the sidewalk, holding his wife's body. It then became clear to the men and women in that room, that their colleague was gone,

_and she's never coming back._

* * *

"Oh you guys are too funny," Quinn sat around a folding round table in her middle school commons, eating lunch with her friends.

"But seriously, I want to hear about this from Korissa Tollefsrud herself," One of the girls said.

"Hey, Kori!" Quinn yelled as her younger, yet 9 inches taller, friend came over. "Lilah here doesn't believe that you actually almost got fired from our aide class," She carried on what she thought would be another lunchtime conversation.

"Quinn!" Her science teacher called from her classroom just to the left of them.

"Hi Mrs. Evans," Quinn stood up and walked to the door.

"Your father just emailed me, he said he called you with an urgent matter and is asking for permission for you to check you voicemail, which I will gladly grant," She said with a solemn smile.

"Okay. Sounds good," Quinn had obvious concern in her voice as she ran down the stairs to get her phone.

_"Hey, Q. I really didn't mean to scare you with that, I know it freaks you out. But there's something I need to tell you. Your mother and I went on an undercover assignment today, we were supposed to apprehend a cyber terrorist cell. You know what they say about the 4 letter word for surviving a terrorist attack, luck right? Well, Quinn, today luck was not on our side," His voice cracked. "Your mother died today, she was doing a job she signed up to do long before we even thought of you. She took a bullet for me," The phone clicked and continued the voicemail message in the usual annoying voice. Quinn fell against her locker letting her phone fall to the ground and trying her hardest to even keep breathing._


End file.
